Vacuum tube lock



Sept. 21, 1948. K. EMDE 2,449,646

vacuum TUBE LOCK Filed Nov. 23, 1945 K-uRT Enos INVENTOR.

Fig.3 I 73 mm HIS A TTORNEYS Patented Sept. 21,1948

4 2,449,646. VACUUM TUBE LOCK Kurt Emde, Itasca, 111., assignor to ZcnithRadio Corporation, a corporation of Illinois Application November 23, 1945, Serial No. 630,441

4 1 This invention relates to vacuum tubes and particularly to arrangements for supporting them securely. 4

Vacuum tubes are commonly provided with pin connections which fit into sockets. Difiiculty has been experienced, where the apparatus incorporating such vacuum tubes is subject to vibration, with the pin connections loosening from the socket. Arrangements have been devised whereby special shaped connection pins or posts on the tube lock into the socket to prevent separation of the tube and its socket. 4 4

With the advent of extremely small vacuum tubes of the type in which no special base is provided and in which the pins are merely extensions,

through a glass Wall of the vessel, of the electrode supporting posts, it has become more difficult to lock together the vacuum tube connecting or supporting pins and the socket. The problem is made particularly diflicult in that thesockets are very small.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a new. and improved arrangement for retaining sucha vacuum tube securely in its socket. 1 The features of the present invention which are believed to be novel are set forth with particularity in the appended claim. The present invention itself, both as to its organization and manner of operation, together with further objects and advantages thereof may best be understood by reference to the following description taken in connection with accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 illustrates apparatus in perspective embodying one form of the invention;

Figure 2 is a view partly in section and-part1 in elevation of a part of the apparatus shown in Figure 1; and 4 Figure 3 illustrates other apparatus embodying another form of the invention.

In Figure 1 a vacuum tube I having the conventional glass enclosure member, is mounted on a chassis 2 underneath which a wafer-type socket 3 of the conventional type illustrated in dotted line, is fastened by means of rivets 4 and 5. A

hole 8 through the chassis 2 above the socket 3 provides an opening through which the pins I at the base of tube I may extend into the appropriate openings and contacts of socket 3. Aresilient wire 8 is fastened at one end under the rivet and at the other end under the rivet 4, and is so shaped as to bias an intermediate U-shaped. portion 9 over the top of the vacuum tube I to lie in engagement with tube I around the closed ex- 1 Claim. (Cl. 250 27.5)

. 2 4 haust tubulation II] to resiliently press the tube I downwardly inFigure 1.

In orderto remove the tube I from its socket 3, the U-shaped part 9 of the resilient wire 8 is pulled away from the tube I, and the tube I is 4 then pulled upwardly out of its socket. To replace the tube I, the U-shaped part 9 of the resilientwire 8 is again pulled away fromits nor mal position over the socket 3 and the tube I is pushed into socket 3 in proper position, the U- shaped part 9 being allowed thereafter to spring back over the top of tube I around the tubula tion I0. V

Since'thewire 8 is resilient it would require a shock or jarforce greater than that which would break the glass enclosure member of the vacuum tube I to movethe wire 8 from engagement with the top of tube I. Of course, the force applied to'j ence numerals. Wire 8 is shown fastened tothe inner surface of. chassis 2 by the upper head of rivet 5, and the wafer socket3is fastened to the lower surface of chassis 2 by the washer II held in place by the lower head ofrivet 5.

Because the top of the glass vessel of vacuum tube I is dome-shaped, the U-shaped part 9 of resilient wire 8 is made to slant upwardly, as illustrated in Figure 2, from the adjacent horizontal leg I2 of wire 8 which overlies a side part of the domed-top of vacuum tube I. By this configuration, the Wire 8 lies in close contact with the upper part of the vacuum tube I, and distributes its force more evenly to require a relatively weak Wire 8 and to reduce the possibility of breakage.

In the modified arrangement shownin Figure 3, the vacuum tube I is illustrated as mounted on a chassis I3 on the upper surface of which a wafer-socket I4 is fastened. Holes I5 and I6 are formed through the chassis I3 on opposite sides of the wafer-socket I4. A resilient wire I1 is provided centrally with a loop I8 of such size as to fit snugly over the tubulation ID on the top of vacuum tube I. The wire I! also has extended resilient ends I9 and 20 bent downwardly and outwardly at distances from the loop I8 greater than the diameter of vacuum tube I to extend respectivelythrough the holes I6 and I 5. The lower end of leg I9 is formed as a hook 2| which resiliently engages the undersurface of the chassis I3, and similarly the lower end of the leg 20 of chassis l3, and are then pulled upwardly away: from chassis It) so that the bent ends 20 and 21" pass through holes is and I5 respectively The 1 loop I8 may then be taken off tubulation- ID of- Thereafter, the tube may" be re? the tube I. moved from socket I4.

With the tube I in place insocket M,- to re place the retaining member H, the legs" t9 and.

are pressed slightly toward each other, and

the ends 2! and 22 are inserted through holes 16 and IS in' chassis i3'respectivelyywhile"at"the same time loop I8 is passed overtubulation Hi and then legs 5 9 and illare'released so that they tend to assume theirnormal position; When the legs i9 and 29 are'released, the bent ends'zl and 22 of the spring wire I? again engagetheundersurface of chassis l3 and preventitubel' from moving out of socket 1'4.

Because of the greater ease in withdrawal or replacement of the tube I, and also because the spring l3 cannot be lost/when removed, the:ar-'

rangement of Figure 1 is preferred; However, the arrangement of Figure 3 has the advantage that the holes l5 and It may be formed'by a simple stamping operation in chassis l3latthe:

same time as the hole for socket 1 1 is formed, and, since the. wire I! is very economical to manufacture, and the assembly operation but little more time consuming thanthait'required' for the arrangement of Figure 1 the arrangement of Figure 3 may be preferred for certain purposes.

While particular embodi-mentsof-the present inventionhave been shown and-described, it will be obvious .to those skilled in the art that changes and modifications may be made withoutdeparting, from this invention inits broader aspects,

4 and, therefore, the aim in the appended claim is to cover all such changes and modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of this invention.

I claim:

A chassis for a radio set comprising, a vacuum tube socket mounted in said chassis for engagingavacuum tube having a tubulation-extending therefrom,a, resilient elongated member of singlepiece spring wire construction having opposite ends adjacent said chassis on opposite sides of said socket, means fastening rigidly each of said opposite ends to said chassis, said means also fastening: said socketto said chassis, said member having-an:intermeditte resilient part extending above said socket, said intermediate part havinga W shapedportion pressed by the resilienee-of said member over the top of a tube mounted in said socket with the center opening of. the w-shaped portion extending partly around-said:tubulation, the center apex/oi the W-shaped portion lying substantially further from-saidsocket than the sidelegs-thereof, said resilient member thus pressing. said W-shaped portion over'the top-of a tube inlsaidlsocket-to engage the 'tubulation of said tube inthe center apex of saidw-shaped portion to therebyprevent disengagement of .said tube andsocket: by shock and vibration forces,v whereby the: side-legsof said W-shaped portion tend tosnap over thetop of said tube in said socket-andyet are easilyi moved aside-for easy insertion andremoval of a tube'trom said'socket KURT: l

BEBEERENQEEl-v GITED I The following references are of record inkt'he file 'of'this patent? UNITED- STATES" PATENTS' i 

